SWITZ CITY – This might sound like a modern-day version of “The Bad News Bears” minus Kelly Leak and his motorcycle.

White River Valley, a Greene County school of 268 students, has little baseball tradition. The program’s first winning season since the school opened in 1991 came last year. But that season ended with a thud — a disappointing loss to Clay City in the sectional. Six seniors graduated from that squad. Coach Chris Cornelius retired.

“If we were going to win a sectional, last year was probably our year,” Cornelius said. “We didn’t.”

Fast forward to this season. Cornelius’ replacement quit before winter break. Another coach was removed prior to the season. The White River Valley administration came calling on Cornelius again.

“I got them a week before practice,” he said. “I came back on short notice.”

Cornelius’ son, junior Brayton Cornelius, went into the season as the clear-cut No. 1 pitcher. He pitched one inning in early April as was diagnosed — misdiagnosed, as it turned out — with an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his elbow.

The losses mounted. Eighteen in a row, to be exact. They came in all shapes and sizes, but mostly lopsided and large. There was a 23-0 loss to Washington. A 17-0 loss to Owen Valley. Barr-Reeve was 24-0. The Wolverines lost 12 games by run-rule.

“I think at one point we were leading the state in the amount of batters we hit,” junior A.J. Russell said.

He is not joking. Without Cornelius to count on at the top of the rotation, the pitchers struggled. A lot.

“The second game I pitched this year, I think I hit seven batters in a row,” sophomore Blaine Patterson said. “That’s probably a record.”

White River Valley baseball players pose with their sectional title trophy.(Photo11: Courtesy of White River Valley High School)

The Wolverines might lead the state in batters hit by pitch (57). The rest of the numbers aren’t much prettier (a 10.43 team earned run average and 138 walks in 106 innings).

But then — cue the movie montage — came the magic. On Saturday, with Cornelius back on the mound, the Wolverines knocked off Clay City, 9-4, and North Central (Farmersburg), 5-4 to win the sectional on their home field.

From a winless regular season one day to the program’s first sectional championship the next. Both wins came against teams that had won by the 10-run rule against the Wolverines during the season.

White River Valley, now 2-18, will take on Rising Sun (18-5) in the Class A Morristown Regional at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“We’re taking the regional,” said Skyler Sipes, one of two seniors on the roster.

If the confidence is running high, it can be directly correlated to the return of Cornelius on the mound. He pitched two innings in the win over Clay City and came back that night with an eight-strikeout performance in 4 2/3 innings in the 5-4 win over North Central.

“It was awesome,” Cornelius said. “Once I got through the rehab program and knew I was going to be able to pitch, I was really excited. After the way we played that first game, we were playing together and hyped to win another one. We kept that energy going.”

Sipes said it is easier to keep that energy and focus with a consistent pitcher on the mound.

“Before we were walking everybody and hitting people,” he said. “He gives us someone who can throw strikes and strike people out. We can keep that energy up without saying, ‘Ah, the bases are loaded and we’re about to let in 20 runs.’ It’s a lot different.”

Chris Cornelius said he’s confident that his son will not have to have elbow surgery. He was diagnosed by a doctor in Cincinnati with valgus extension overload, an injury that can develop over time in pitchers. The time off from throwing has helped, he said.

Throughout the season, Chris Cornelius did his best to focus on the positives. None of the players quit the team. In the aftermath of winning the sectional, he jokes that he’s “been called a sandbagger five or six times.” But the goal all the time was to win the sectional.

“We talk a lot about what’s inside,” Cornelius said. “It’s about dealing with everyday life and taking passion into your life, your job, your marriage. Use your brain and use your heart. If you use those two things, it can get you through life.”

Their names are forever in the record books as White River Valley’s first baseball sectional champions. The underdog of all underdogs.

“You kind of lose hope,” admitted sophomore Dalton York. “You just have to keep going every day and play fearless. Play like no one can stop you.”